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The Hand (1981)
Under-appreciated Psychological Thriller
I watched this movie twice recently, and thought that it was excellent. Great, in fact.
This early Oliver Stone film is quite good in that you really have to be "sharp" to "get it". Although on the surface, this movie seems to be almost a 'slasher' movie, it is not. It is much, much more. Might be a little too heady for some to grasp, but that makes it no less great.
I think the performance by Mr. Caine was superb. I could really feel his emotions at times. He certainly reached way inside of himself in this role. In my opinion, the best performance I have seen by him.
This is definitely one of those 'more than meets the eye' type of movies. If you watch it, and don't get it, watch it again.
I would recommend this film to fans of Psychological Thrillers, Horror, Mystery, Crime Drama, and cult film fans.
I can't believe this has a cumulative rating of only 4.7. I give 'The Hand' 8 out of 10. A GREAT Horror Psychological Thriller.
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
Isn't this the same as Exorcist: The Beginning?
OK, I liked this movie. I like the Exorcist series, except for Exorcist II, which is not that good.
But isn't this movie the same as Exorcist: The Beginning? I only noticed about 3 minutes that were different. Or maybe the cable company couldn't tell them apart, and ran the wrong movie.
Still, this movie was good, not excellent, but good.
Those dogs, those dogs.
Those Nazi's, those Nazi's.
Anyway, I know not much of a "review", but more a bewilderment at how these 2 movies could be listed as different movies, when they seem the same.
This movie gets 6 out of 10.
Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
Isn't this the same as Dominion?
OK, I love the Exorcist movies, except for Exorcist II, but isn't This movie and Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist the same movie? The only difference is about 3 minutes.
Who knows, maybe the cable company couldn't tell the difference, but neither could I.
Anyway, this movie was pretty good. Quite disturbing at times, which it should be, and quite nicely done.
Quite a nice bit of psychological torture as well.
Worthy of the series.
I give it 6 out of 10.
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)
Very Informative and entertaining, but...
OK, I liked this documentary a lot. It had great information, great interviews with the actors and creators, and all of that.
All in all, it was very entertaining, informative, well researched, etc.
So, you may ask why say that I have a "spoiler" in such a film, or how is it possible.
Well, here it is: They left out one very important Series of movies (or they covered it so fast that I didn't even see it in 2 viewings).
What did they leave out, you ask. Candyman, Candyman, Candyman.
Those movies certainly deserved a little credit. Also, no mention was made about how Science Fition spliced itself together with slasher films in movies like Shocker and The Hidden. Aren't they slasher films? Anyway, they couldn't include every movie ever made, of course, but no Candyman? How is it possible? Other than that, I thought this documentary was excellent.
Desert-Buddha
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
An excellent example of human behavior, and great science fiction!!
What a gem of a movie! The story was simple, but strong. Excellent acting and presentation of the story, too.
What I loved most was the way the creators captured the true heart of humans, and how they might react. What a great adaption of the Bradbury story.
This movie is a perfect example of how a movie can be great without a big budget, special effects, or even color film. It flowed nicely, had a good pace, and provoked emotion.
If you are a fan of science fiction, Ray Bradbury, or just good movies, you will like this movie.
This one was special to me, personally, and rates as a GREAT movie with 8 out of 10.
Desert-Buddha
Batman Begins (2005)
Overall not as good as I expected
I had heard different opinions about this movie, and they were so opposite that I decided to see for myself.
The "Origin" part of the story is too far out-of-bounds from the original for my personal taste.
Overall, the story wasn't bad, but I thought this was a sub-par performance by Liam Neeson. Mr Caine is quite splendid, and Mr Bale is good, too. Not bad acting at all.
I think that the action sequences look very choppy, and too dark to really see what was happening.
Overall, when I saw that this movie was rated #82 best movie ever, I expected a great movie. Not as good as the Burton/Keaton/Nicholson Batman, and barely as good as Batman Returns.
In my opinion, should not even be near the list of the best 250 movies. I give it 6 out of 10, for better than average, but not excellent.
Very overrated movie to me.
Desert.Buddha
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The Original Version is Unbelievable !!
Wow! This is one of the great performances of Richard Dreyfuss' career. He is awesome. The original version has a scene with him that the Special Edition leaves out, and I think that it takes a lot away from the character, but both versions are excellent.
The score is AWESOME, the special effects are AWESOME, and the acting is superb. Oh, by the way, the story, directing, and production are also AWESOME!
I think that this movie still stands up to nearly any movie out since it's release, and it is truly a magnificent film.
Do yourself a favor, and watch this one again.
This AWESOME movie gets 10 out of 10.
Desert-Buddha
Star Trek: Space Seed (1967)
What a way to set things up for the future.
This is another of my 3 favorite episodes of the original TV Series. Ricardo Montalban was incredible in this episode, and delivers one of the best performances of his life. Shatner and Nimoy are also excellent in this episode.
This is another one of those episodes that showed the TV audience that Kirk was more than just a Captain of a ship, and even more than just a regular Starship Commander.
Still, as we will find out in years to come, the "Space Seed" was truly planted, although it was probably not known at the time.
I give this excellent episode 10 out of 10, AWESOME!! Desert-Buddha
Star Trek: Balance of Terror (1966)
Episodes like this one are what makes Star Trek great!
This has to be one of my 3 favorite Episodes from the Original TV Series.
What makes it great is the battle of wits between The Romulan Commander and Kirk, as well as the top-notch acting from Mark Lenard, who later went on to play Spock's father in other TV Episodes and movies. This is a case where those around rose to the level of the talent around them, and Shatner, Nimoy, and the whole cast deliver an outstanding performance in this episode.
The writing and plot are also excellent, and I love the direct approach used to show us the characters, and the feelings and thoughts of those characters, and how freely they are expressed by the actors.
This very entertaining episode ranks 10 out of 10. AWESOME!! Desert-Buddha
Unforgiven (1992)
An Incredible Masterpice of Film-making
I have always enjoyed a good western, and have enjoyed most of Clint Eastwood's work, but this is truly exceptional. Gene Hackman also gives one of the best performances of his marvelous career.
What I loved most about this film was the way the story was told, and how it made me FEEL something. Many things.
It is gritty, and hard, and pure, and deep, and at the same time, it is basic and simple.
I believe that this is an important film, a truly great movie, and perhaps the best western movie of all time.
I love this movie every time I see it. It scores 9 out of 10. EXCELLENT Movie!
Desert-Buddha
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The film that all other Martial Arts films are compared to
First of all, this is the best Bruce Lee movie. He was an incredible person who had a huge impact on our global society, but this film really was something even more. What an entertaining movie.
The only real flaws with the film are some restrictions due to budget, and some poor overdubs on the sound track, but otherwise, I have always found this to be an enjoyable movie.
This is the KING of Martial Arts movies for me, as I have seen it at least 100 times. If you like this movie, you should check out 'Master of the Flying Guillotine'.
What makes this movie great is the comedic segments, the humanistic elements of the characters and their unique cultures, and the AWESOME action sequences throughout the film.
I would recommend this movie to anyone. It scores 8 out of 10. An excellent movie.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Best Christmas Cartoon Ever !!
This is a wonderful, timeless classic.
The story is great, and the animation still stands the test of time. Wonderful narration and songs, and of course, that MEAN OLD GRINCH! Great for children of all ages, even adults! Perfect for the whole family, and the pets, too.
This is my favorite of all the Seuss stories.
This will go down in history as one of the best, if not THE best short cartoon EVER! Certainly my favorite of all the Christmas cartoons. I am still entertained every time I see it, even after all these years.
That's why this film scores 10 out of 10. VERY ENTERTAINING!
The Cactus Kid (2000)
As bad as it gets??
This is probably the worst movie I have ever seen. Poor script, horrible acting, it looks bad, and it is soooo unrealistic.
I think that if I gave some movie making equipment to a group of grade-schoolers, they could do better.
This movie might be enjoyed by a very young child, but I doubt it.
I would not recommend this film to anyone, and in fact, I recommend that you should not waste your time watching it, like I did.
I guess the good thing is that all other movies look good after watching this one.
1 out of 10 AWFUL!!! desert-buddha
Cross of Iron (1977)
If you like war movies, you should see this one!
If you are a fan of war films, this is one I highly recommend. It is unique among WWII films in that the battles are between the Russians and the Nazis, and they are done magnificently.
This movie had me captivated from beginning to end. I was amazed that I had never heard of, or seen, this movie before.
A true masterpiece of film-making, this is one of the 5 best war movies I have ever seen. I loved it! I have been thinking about it for the last 3 days.
Oh, by the way, James Coburn, James Mason, David Warner and Maximilian Schnell all give great performances.
This very entertaining movie scores 9 out of 10.
desert-buddha
Jigokumon (1953)
This movie blew me away! Totally!
Wow! What an awesome movie. The leading lady was gorgeous, the shots were magnificent, the music was fantastic, and overall, this was a great movie.
Although it is in Japanese, and I saw it with subtitles, it is still the best movie I have seen all year.
This movie totally held my attention, and delivered everything I could have wanted, but not in the way that I expected. Wow! Easy to see why this movie won an Oscar for best foreign film. I would say that it is as good as any movie I have ever seen. I loved it.
If you are looking for something different from a film, give this one a look. You will not be disappointed.
Desert-Buddha
Absolute Evel: The Evel Knievel Story (2005)
An excellent slice of history
This biography was nicely done, with lots of facts and footage. There was plenty of action, but what I loved most was the way the piece was made to have you actually meet the man, Evel Knievel. You really got to see what kind of a person he was. You may end up liking him, or maybe not, but this is the real Evel Knievel.
This was also a great reminder to me of why I was such a big fan of his in the mid to late 70's. Evel Knievel was a true Superstar that transcended being just a motorcycle daredevil. He was a huge star, and a worldwide icon. But the man was always there, just a regular man.
There were also nice bits about his family, and how his life and his challenges affected them.
All-in-all, a well done piece. 8 out of 10.
Desert Buddha